Fire chief urges rebuilding downtown Station 1, upgrades to Stations 3 and 5

Fire Chief Jay Alvarado told the Measure J Oversight Commission that Palm Springs’ oldest fire stations are undersized, worn and lack gender-inclusive living quarters, and outlined preliminary designs to rebuild Station 1 and upgrade Stations 3 and 5.

"We're living in some of the stations that are approaching 70 years old," Chief Alvarado said, describing cramped sleeping quarters, a single shower shared by multiple staff and limited privacy that he said hampers recruitment and retention. He said the existing Station 1 is about 5,000 square feet while current recommendations for a downtown station are about 13,000 square feet.

The chief presented a conceptual design that would place a two-story living quarters and drive-through apparatus bay on a city-owned adjacent lot, preserving the historic Albert Frey building on Indian Canyon. The design includes individual sleeping rooms, private bathrooms, a fitness room inside the station, and drive-through apparatus circulation so engines need not back into bays.

On Station 3 and Station 5, Alvarado described similar functional deficiencies: shared dormitories, outdated infrastructure and limited drive-through capability. Station 3 serves the city's largest coverage area and is the most active single-engine location; Station 5 occupies a converted residential condominium and currently requires backing apparatus into position.

The chief invited commissioners to a public open house on Monday, Feb. 23 from 4 to 6 p.m. to view the concept and provide feedback; staff said they will gather community input, hold a council study session and return with recommendations that may include design and debt requests to the commission.